The Canucks the front-runners for Akito Hirose?
Rick Dhaliwal: The Vancouver Canucks are interested in Minnesota State free agent, left-handed defenseman Akito Hirose.
Rick Dhaliwal: If Hirose decides to turn pro, the Canucks would be high on his list.
David Pagnotta: Signs have been pointing toward Hirose and the Canucks for weeks.
Are the Red Wings not interested in signing prospect Robert Mastrosimone?
Craig Morgan of Go PHNX: Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Greg Powers doesn’t think the Detroit Red Wings will sign prospect Robert Mastrosimone.
“He’s playing the waiting game and seeing what’s going to be available as a free agent. There’s a lot of teams that are interested in him, but it doesn’t look like Detroit is going to happen. It’s just a waiting game, but he has the option to come back. It’s a good option and he’s open to it.”
“He’s going to be here all summer, and I think he’s probably going to enroll and leave that as an option. It’s not something that we’re going to know about for a while. I know he wants to get a contract and play pro hockey and I’m confident that can happen for him, but this is going to remain an option.
The Capitals will have decisions to make on Peter Laviolette and Anthony Mantha
Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic: Despite losing in the first round two years in a row and potentially missing the playoffs this year, it isn’t a slam dunk that Peter Laviolette won’t be re-signed.
They dealt with the third most man-games lost this season. GM Brian MacLellan also traded out some veterans at the deadline for draft picks.
Management and ownership will have some extensive exit interviews before they decide which direction they will go.
Forward Anthony Mantha has struggled this season and has been a healthy scratch at times. He’s got one more year at a $5.7 million cap hit and seems like an unlikely buyout candidate at this point. If they do decide to go that route he’d carry a $1.367 million hit next season and $2.167 the following year.
